Device for transferring products from a feeder conveyor belt to a discharge conveyor belt using grippers, and method for operating the device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604792-B2
Application number	US-201013258652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2010
Priority date	Mar 23, 2009
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for transferring products from a feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ) to a discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ), comprising a linear motor having conveyor elements ( 14 ) which are movably guided on a guide and have grippers ( 18 ) for the temporary accommodation of products ( 20 ). The guide is designed as a linear guide section ( 13 ), and the conveyor elements ( 14 ) can be moved back and forth on the guide section ( 13 ) for picking up and putting down the products ( 20 ). When products ( 20 ) are conveyed consecutively in a row in the conveying direction (z) of the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ) and the guide section ( 13 ) are arranged in parallel next to one another, at least in one lateral overlapping area. When products ( 20 ) are conveyed side-by-side in rows in the conveying direction (z) of the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ) is arranged perpendicular to the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ), and the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ) and the guide section ( 13 ) are arranged in parallel to one another and are arranged side-by-side with the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ) at least in a lateral overlapping area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for transferring products from a feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ) to a discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ), the device comprising:
a linear motor with conveyor elements ( 14 ), which are guided displaceably on a guide and have grippers ( 18 ) for temporarily picking up products ( 20 ), characterized in that
the guide is a linear guide section ( 13 ), and the conveyor elements ( 14 ) are displaceable to and fro on the guide section ( 13 ) for picking up and depositing the products ( 20 ),
when products ( 20 ) are supplied consecutively in a line in a conveying direction (z) of the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ) and the guide section ( 13 ) are arranged parallel next to one another, at least in a lateral overlapping region, and,
when products ( 20 ) are supplied in rows next to one another in the conveying direction (z) of the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ) is arranged perpendicularly to the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ), and the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ) and the guide section ( 13 ) are arranged parallel to each other and are arranged next to each other together with the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), at least in a lateral overlapping region.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the grippers ( 18 ) are arranged on a pivoting arm ( 16 ), which is arranged on the conveyor elements ( 14 ), in order to produce a displacement movement transversally with respect to the conveying direction (z).

3. The device as claimed in claim 2 , characterized in that the pivoting arm ( 16 ) is configured to execute a pivoting movement which reduces the required movement distance of the conveyor elements ( 14 ) for picking up and depositing the products ( 20 ).

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the grippers ( 18 ) can be pivoted, raised or lowered simultaneously along the linear guide section ( 13 ).

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the grippers ( 18 ) can be controlled individually via the linear guide section ( 13 ) in order to execute pivoting, lifting and displacement movements.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the grippers ( 18 ) can be pivoted, raised and lowered at predetermined points via fixed links ( 28 , 30 ).

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , characterized in that at least two groups of grippers ( 18 ) can be pivoted, raised and lowered at at least two assigned points.

8. The device as claimed in claim 6 , characterized in that the distance (a) between the links ( 28 , 30 ) or the groups of grippers ( 18 ) corresponds at least to the length of the depositing region of the product groups.

9. A device for transferring products from a feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ) to a discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ), the device comprising:
conveyor elements ( 14 ), which are guided displaceably on a guide and have grippers ( 18 ) for temporarily picking up products ( 20 ), characterized in that
the guide is a linear guide section ( 13 ), and the conveyor elements ( 14 ) are displaceable to and fro on the guide section ( 13 ) for picking up and depositing the products ( 20 ),
when products ( 20 ) are supplied consecutively in a line in a conveying direction (z) of the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ) and the guide section ( 13 ) are arranged parallel next to one another, at least in a lateral overlapping region, and,
when products ( 20 ) are supplied in rows next to one another in the conveying direction (z) of the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ) is arranged perpendicularly to the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ), and the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ) and the guide section ( 13 ) are arranged parallel to each other and are arranged next to each other together with the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), at least in a lateral overlapping region,
characterized in that the grippers ( 18 ) can be pivoted, raised and lowered at locations defined by displaceable links ( 28 , 30 ).

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that displacement and pivoting movements can be produced by further linear motors or additional displacement elements.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 , characterized in that a gripper ( 18 ) is connected to at least two displacement elements.

12. A method for operating a device for transferring products from a feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ) to a discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ), the device including conveyor elements ( 14 ) which are guided displaceably on a guide and have grippers ( 18 ) for temporarily picking up products ( 20 ), the guide being a linear guide section ( 13 ), the method comprising:
displacing the conveyor elements ( 14 ) to and fro on the guide section ( 13 ) for picking up and depositing the products ( 20 ),
when products ( 20 ) are supplied consecutively in a line in a conveying direction (z) of the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ) and the guide section ( 13 ) are arranged parallel next to one another, at least in a lateral overlapping region, and,
when products ( 20 ) are supplied in rows next to one another in the conveying direction (z) of the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ) is arranged perpendicularly to the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ), and the discharge conveyor belt ( 12 ) and the guide section ( 13 ) are arranged parallel to each other and are arranged next to each other together with the feeder conveyor belt ( 10 ), at least in a lateral overlapping region,
characterized in that, in order to increase the capacity of the device, the displacement distances of the conveyor elements ( 14 ) from product pick up positions to product depositing positions and back are shortened by an overlapping arrangement of a product pick up region (M) and product depositing region (N), the product pick up region (M) and product depositing region (N) preferably having a substantially symmetrical overlapping arrangement.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , characterized in that product groups are deposited in a plurality of steps, with gaps initially remaining between the products, the gaps being filled in one of the next depositing steps.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , characterized in that the product depositing region is divided by means of lowerable or removable separating means ( 34 ) such that the products cannot be displaced when there are gaps in the depositing positions.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the grippers ( 18 ) can be pivoted, raised or lowered simultaneously via a driving link ( 22 ).

16. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that at least two groups of grippers ( 18 ) can be pivoted, raised and lowered by at least two assigned links ( 28 , 30 ).

17. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that a product depositing region (N) is located approximately symmetrically in a center of a product pick up region (M).

18. The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that a product depositing region (N) is divided by means of lowerable or removable separating means ( 34 ) such that the products cannot be displaced when there are gaps in the depositing positions.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the conveyor elements ( 14 ) can be activated independently of one another.

20. A device for transferr

Assignees

• Wipf Alfred
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Wipf Alfred

Classifications

• B65G47/52

  Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices (loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00) · CPC title

• B65G47/90

  Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials · CPC title

• B65G47/082

  grouping articles in rows · CPC title

• B65G47/915 Primary

  provided with drive systems with rotary movements only · CPC title

• B65G47/08

  spacing or grouping the articles during feeding (during transit by conveyor B65G47/28) · CPC title